Texas family makes dog's dying wish come true

Penny Navid and her two daughters set out to make their beloved dog Charlie's final day one to remember.

"She was so happy, and we hadn't seen her like that in a long time," Penny said.

Penny's husband Kevin remembers the day they brought the puppy home. He says she made her mark immediately.

"I remember she threw up on my wife twice, and we thought that was pretty funny," Kevin said.

The dog would soon make her mark in other ways, sitting by Penny's side and licking her bald head as Penny battled a breast cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy.

"She knew something was going on, and she took care of my wife," Kevin said.

This week, a veterinarian told the family that Charlie had a tumor in her brain. The family had to make the tough decision to put their dog down.

"I knew I couldn't be there because I wouldn't let it happen," Kevin said.

By all accounts, the Shepard wouldn't hurt a fly, but Kevin always believed she would be a good police dog. He even tried to train her from YouTube videos when she was young.

On Charlie's last day, the family took her to get that burger and ice cream, they even let her wash it down with a rib-eye steak from a restaurant nearby. And when they saw a Denton Police officer at the same park, they couldn't pass up an opportunity to take a picture.

"I don't think it was a coincidence he was there. We are believers in this family," Kevin said.

The officer posed for a photo with the dying dog and the department shared it on Facebook, dubbing Charlie its newest K-9 officer, fulfilling a lifelong dream for the Navid family.

"When I saw those photos I just thought there is my Charlie. She's a K-9 officer all these years later," Kevin said.

The officer in the photo was Jim Bryan. He says he was just doing his job and was happy to take a photo.

"I believe things happen for a reason," Bryan said.

But the family said running into him during Charlie's final hours meant more than anyone will ever know. After a full meal, and a walk in the park with her family, Charlie was honored as an officer, then went on to rest in peace.